A critical look at nutritional science and anything else that strikes my fancy

Post navigation

Krill oil and inflammation

Research published in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition shows that a modest daily dose of krill oil markedly reduces inflammation and reduces the pain, stiffness and functional impairment associated with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis within one week.

I posted last summer on the regimen I had put together for my own golf-related aches and pains to replace the large doses of Advil (ibuprofen) I had been taking. In the same post I discussed a study published in Surgical Neurology showing that patients with severe back pain who opted to take fish oil instead of NSAIDS (Advil-like drugs) could, for the most part, achieve equivalent pain relief. This study was one in which the doctors gave a number of patients the option to switch from NSAIDs to fish oil, so the study wasn’t really hard science, but kind of soft science in that, as I wrote at the time, it was not a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Now, a Canadian researcher has published a very nice double-blind, placebo-controlled study using Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) that shows some pretty impressive results.

The paper begins with a discussion of krill and the oil derived from them.

Neptune Krill Oil is extracted from Antarctic Krill (Ephausia Superba), a zooplankton at the bottom of the food chain. Even though krill is the main food source for whales it remains the most abundant biomass on earth because of its high regeneration properties. The krill used for Neptune Krill Oil is harvested in the Antarctic Ocean where the worldwide harvest is less than 0.1% the allowed fishing quota. Being at the bottom of the food chain, having a very short lifespan of 1–2 years and living in the clean waters of the Antarctic Ocean, makes the krill and thus Neptune Krill Oil naturally pure of heavy metals, dioxins and pesticides.

The oil is extracted by a patented cold vacuum extraction process that protects the biomass from exposure to heat, light or oxygen. This protects the oil through-out its production and maintains the original nutrients of krill intact. The result is a concentrate of novel marine phospholipid carriers of eicosapentanoic (EPA) and docosahexanoic (DHA) fatty acids and potent antioxidants. The main antioxidants, astaxanthin and a novel flavonoid, similar to the 6,8-Di-C-glucosylluteolin, esterify the EPA and DHA respectively. This provides a significant stability and antioxidant potency to the oil.

The researcher who did this study wanted to see if NKO would not only reduce the symptoms of inflammation – pain, stiffness, and functional disability – but wanted to test a laboratory parameter of inflammation as well. She decided to use C-reactive protein (CRP) as her lab test to determine the degree of inflammation.

C-reactive protein (CRP), which is one of the most useful biomarkers of inflammation, appears to be a central player in the harmful effects of systemic inflammation and an easy and inexpensive screening test to assess inflammation-associated risk. Unlike other markers of inflammation, CRP levels are stable over long periods, have no diurnal variation and can be measured inexpensively.

Current studies suggest that CRP is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular events. At all levels of estimated 10-year risk for events according to the Framingham risk score and at all levels of LDL cholesterol, CRP remained a strong predictor of future cardiovascular risk. CRP has been shown in several prospective, nested case-control studies to be associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, sudden death from cardiac causes, and peripheral arterial disease.

In arthritic joints CRP production reflects the release of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukins-1 and -6 (IL-1 and IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-{alpha}), which are essential in the mechanism of cartilage degeneration. CRP is significantly increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and slightly but significantly higher in patients with osteoarthritis than in matched controls.

Since most experts are now beginning to believe that heart disease is driven by inflammation (not cholesterol), anything that reduces CRP, the primary marker of inflammation that everyone now tests for, generates a lot of interest.

Subjects who had a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and/or rheumatoid arthritis and/or oseoarthritis were recruited and randomized into two groups. These subjects had their CRP tests monitored for three weeks to make sure that the levels were stable before starting the study. At the start all completed the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) arthritic pain assessment questionnaire, which is a standardized test used to quantify pain, stiffness and loss of function related to arthritis.

Subjects in the control arm got a placebo; those in the other arm got 300 mg of NKO each morning, a small dose. Most NKO softgels contain 500 mg of NKO. (My own regimen includes two gelcaps, giving me 1000 mg per day, over three times the amount taken by the study subjects.)

The subjects were tested for CRP and with the WOMAC at baseline, then at 7 days, 14 days and 30 days. The results were quite dramatic.

The published paper showed the data in tabular form, which is kind of difficult to read. I don’t know why they didn’t portray it graphically since that is so much more demonstrative, but they didn’t.

But I did. I took my trusty graph paper and red and blue markers and laid it out for you.

Here is the graph showing the dramatic decline in CRP levels in the subjects taking NKO compared to the controls.

You will notice that in the controls, the CRP shot up at first, then stabilized. This is probably because the control subjects had been taking NSAIDs before this study started and the rise in CRP is a rebound effect. The subjects taking the NKO were also on NSAIDS prior to the study, which makes the rapid reduction in CRP they experienced even more dramatic.

Here is the graph showing the decrease in pain.

The decrease in functional impairment. The lower the line, the less impairment.

I didn’t do a graph on the decrease in stiffness because it mirrored the others.

It is apparent from this study that NKO in a modest dose markedly reduces inflammation very quickly. In fact, the most significant changes were within the first week. In tandem with this striking decrease in CRP, a marker of inflammation, the actual symptoms of inflammation were reduced in a similar fashion.

Do these remarkable improvements come about because of the EPA and DHA in the NKO or because of the astaxanthin or the phospholipid structure or all of the above? No one really knows right now, but based on this study, it’s pretty clear that something in NKO is doing the job.

As reported by the author:

The results of the present study validate the potent anti-inflammatory properties of NKO and reinforce the potential mechanism of action. The CRP reduction induced by NKO demonstrates that NKO is a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of inflammation, particularly with all the recently proven adverse events of the most widely used NSAIDs. Furthermore, this study demonstrates a significant improvement in all 3 WOMAC scores among the 30 and 10 patients on NKO as compared to the 26 and 12 patients on placebo who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. No adverse events were reported making NKO safe for human consumption.

In my view I think it would be a much better strategy to put everyone on one NKO softgel per day than a statin. But that’s just me.

Monthly Book Reviews

I have been writing a series of book reviews each month that I email to subscribers. If you're interested and want to get on the list, sign up here (or above where it says Get free email alerts in the upper right). I'll send you an email notice of all new blog posts plus all my monthly book reviews. Also, you will get a link to all the previous month's book reviews I've sent. Hope to see you aboard.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

First Name

Email Address

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

73 thoughts on “Krill oil and inflammation”

I can’t remember if there was a rationale behind the dosage you chose, perhaps apart from price? (Haven’t got time to wade through the study just now, how did they arrive at 300mg?) Would 2 grams be better? How about 4 grams?? 😉

I have a feeling one of the retailers for NKO suggested 2 capsules per day (2g?) for a month then cutting back to one thereafter – but again I don’t recall any detail as to why. You take ordinary fish oil as well don’t you?

Cheers,

Malcolm

Hi Malcolm–

I take two NKO and two fish oil daily. It might be a little overkill, but it works to keep me pain and stiffness free. I may fiddle around with it to see if I can get the same benefit from a lesser dose, but I haven’t done so yet.

I only have two datapoints, 14 months apart. My statistics were similar with a drop from 3.27 to 1.37.

But I attribute the drop to adding curcumin at 900/mg day. All through this period I was taking 3 grams of EPA/DHA (10 grams of fish oil) a day.

Despite taking that much fish oil I had a 3.27 CRP number. My arthritis was well controlled but CRP was a different story. I am guessing that arthritis was controlled, but cardiovascular risk was driving the high number.

Fascinating study, I am tempted to test krill oil. First a current CRP test, some krill oil, and another CRP test in 30 days. Budget $84 blood tests, 30 days of NKO $21.
No promises, because I have already reduced CRP to a healthy range. But the reference range starts at zero so I do have a target to shoot for.

Hi David–

Keep me posted on your results. I would like to see if the krill oil makes a difference. Make sure to continue the 900 mg of curcumin so that quiting that doesn’t become a complicating factor.

I am afraid I get confused. Is Krill Oil to be taken in place of fish oil, or in conjuction with? Right now I take 2 Krill Oil and 2 teaspoons of Carlsons fish Oil. Is this to much of a good thing?

Hi Tess–

Your taking a regimen comparable to mine. I take two krill oil softgels and a couple of Pro Omega fish oil capsules per day. I might be able to get along with less, but I haven’t reduced my dosage yet.

Dr Mike, I am puzzled by the difference in price I have found in trying to source this product in the UK. As you can see from these two URL’s, one is 3 times the price of the other. Would the expensive one be that much better do you think?

I don’t know why the large discrepancy in price. I would say that maybe the first one is not NKO as is the second one, but the same NKO that we sell through website is only about 13 pounds (I don’t have the symbol for UK monetary units in this software). Surely, you can find the NKO stuff that is less expensive.

From reading your blog regularly I know your bias with regard to statins, but from reading this post and the results of this study I don’t follow how you would make your concluding statement in the 2nd to the last sentence. Is this a typo? Did you mean NSAID and not statin? Thanks.

Hi Javier–

No, I meant statin. More and more scientists are getting on board with the idea that inflammation is a primary cause of vascular dysfunction and heart disease. This study demonstrates nicely that a small dose of krill oil substantially reduces inflammation. People take statins to prevent heart disease. What I was saying (obviously none to clearly) is that it would probably do more people more good to take a krill oil softgel every day that to take a statin.

You know…I had been thinking of trying Krill oil ever since you first mentioned it. You just lit a fire under me. I would love to have less general problems with inflammation and resulting impairment.

Where do you vote on the vitamin E supplementation issue these days? Pro or con? What do you think of the “increased risk of death” that was hyped in the news a few years ago. I have never read the study in question, but I am guessing it was based on a meta-analysis of some sort involving the elderly and heart patients on statins. How close am I? (I have a recurring rant about the characterization of scientific findings in the evening news. What we need is a group similar to CSPI that is devoted to Fairness and accuracy in the reporting of science and medical studies/issues when things like this blister in the press.)

Hi Anne–

I don’t buy into the hype about vitamin E being an agent of death. I take one of the Grace Unique Es everyday along with my krill oil/fish oil combo. I do this because due to the highly unsaturated fats in these products, the body’s requirement for vitamin E goes up. Vitamin E stabilizes polyunsaturated fats, so if you increase your intake of such fats, you ought to add a little vitamin E.

Hasn’t there been studies showing that fish oil reduces inflammation? Could be unreasonable to assume that it could be the EPA and DHA?

Hi Patrick–

No, it wouldn’t be unreasonable at all. It’s just that there is so much more there in krill oil that makes it difficult to dissect out how much of the positive result comes from the EPA/DHA and how much comes from the antioxidant and/or the phospholipid structure. I would like to see a similar study done with three arms: one with krill oil, one with an equivalent dose of fish oil, and one using NSAIDS.

Thank you for presenting the data in a clearly understandable format. I take krill oil and I’ve been trying to get my mom to at least take fish oil. She made us take cod liver oil when we were kids, so I figured it would be an easier sell than something exotic like krill oil. Now I can be even more persuasive, thanks to the work you did in making this research available. I’m grateful to you for the much better life I have now that grains don’t keep my body in a state of ruction.

Hi Blaise–

Thanks for the kind words. Good luck with Mom. Keep me posted.

And thanks for using the word ‘ruction.’ I hadn’t seen it used in a long time.

Is the “Malcolm” who sometimes replies to your posts likely to be Dr. Kendrick? I also recently came across some of his papers online and am very impressed with his writing as well.

Your website/blog is outstanding, and a valuable public service. Thank you.

Hi Wil–

Thanks for the kind words. I don’t think the Malcolm who comments frequently is Dr. Kendrick, but I could be wrong. I think our Malcolm is from Australia whereas Dr. Kendrick is from Scotland. I, too, loved Dr. Kendrick’s recent book and intend to review it on the blog soon.

Well I have given up trying to source the NKO in the UK, the prices are all higher in pounds here than in America in dollars, i.e. more than twice the price! I found a site in the US who will ship 4 bottles for under $6.00 for shipping. Of course whether customs duty will get me I have yet to find out!

Just spent half an hour on the net looking for UK sources of NKO. Not many, and none so far particularly comparable in price to USA sites.
Glenice’s second link has NKO priced at nearly $59 for a standard 60 softgel pack. 🙁

I read Kendrick’s book a few weeks ago and probably will get a second copy to loan out to curious friends, because it is an easier reading experience than either Colpo or Ravnskov’s books. Some folks need baby steps and Kendrick’s corny humor to get through the complicated bits.

But I was sorry to see the excessive number of typos in the book. It appears to have been proofread by a computer spell-checker, not a real person. Most of the errors are real words, but not the ones Kenrick intended, I’m sure. Likely it is a production problem, but someone should have proofed the proofs one more time. I worry that the poor proofing might taint Kendrick’s important message somewhat. One section title early in the book, of all things, was especially glaring; “stain” was printed instead of statin. That error shows up countless times throughout the book, but in a chapter title?

Did anyone else notice this or did I get the lone copy that escaped quality control? I’m not usually Mrs. Nitpicker, but perhaps this time I am.

Cheers,
Anna

Hi Anna–

I noticed the typos as well, but they didn’t diminish my admiration for the book. Having written a number of books and going through the proofing process with at least six pairs of eyes and still having typos make it into the book, I can understand how it happens. But it was a little excessive in this case, and having it happen in a chapter title in inexcusable. I’ve got a couple of copies of the book–an early one and one I purchased recently–and both have the same typos.

It’s a terrific book for anyone who wants to see the lipid hypothesis scorned in a rigorous yet easy-to-understand and humorous way.

Dr. Mike, I’ve written to you before on this, and I’ll say it again, but nothing wipes out PMS depression like Krill Oil. After you posted on Krill oil a few months ago, I did research and found what I thought were very reliable studies stating that 2 g. krill oil (4 500 mg. soft gels for those interested), alleviated pms depression better than an equal dose of regular fish oil. I’ve tried both, and Krill Oil is more effective. It took a good two months to see a huge improvement, but I’ll never stop taking it now. And Dr. Mike, the arthritic stiffness in my lower back went away. Why don’t we hear more about this particular oil? I order mine through Amazon (prices vary and are competitive on amazon), and I save a ton of money.

Thanks so much for posting about krill oil, and please keep us updated with the latest studies.

Hi Pookie–

ThHanks for the report. I’ve heard much the same from a number of other people.

Malcolm, even though you are not Dr. Kendrick, some of your comments seem to suggest to me that you may have a scientific background. In any event, I have found yours and other comments here very useful…so keep commenting please.

I have ordered Dr. Kendrick’s new book but not received it yet. Maybe the newer copies will be issued with the typos repaired. In any event, based solely on the recent comments on this string, as well as some strong reviews of the Kendrick book I have seen on the Amazon.com UK website, I expect after I read it to order a copy to give to my own physician. (I’m also looking forward to Dr. Mike’s review.)

Dr. Mike, would you comment on this? I think well of my dr and wouldn’t want to insult him by somehow suggesting, by gifting the book, that his expertise is deficient on this topic. But I think he, and likely many other practicing physicians, would probably benefit from Dr. Kendrick’s insights, if reviewed objectively and analytically. What say you Dr. Mike?

Hi Wil–

I hate to have to tell you tthis, but here goes… I used to be a practicing doctor myself, and patients were forever bringing me books and literature on this or that nutritional idea. I thanked them, then threw the books in a pile and never read them. Most doctors are so busy just trying to get all their patients seen, hospital rounds made, etc. that they don’t have time to read and study anything much that their patients bring to them.

A much better way to impress your physician is to go on a good quality whole-food low-carb diet and make your lipids better in dramatic fashion. Most docs will then ask you how you did it. When you tell them, it gets their attention. Same thing holds for reduced blood pressure and/or significant weight loss.

I have bought the CRP tests and NKO and should receive them next week. But I had a second thought. Both homocysteine and CRP fell dramatically when I took curcumnin. Is there any value in doing “before and after” tests on homocysteine?

No Knowledge is ever wasted. Test away if you want. I would be curious to see the results.

I’ve been taking fish oil for several months and have noticed a big improvement in joint aches and pains, but still having some issues. I’ve decided to add Krill Oil, but not sure if I should be taking the recommended dose or higher?

So far, after just 2 days, I have noticed a difference….I hope it continues!

I was worried that there wouldn’t be much room for Krill Oil to show its stuff with a low 1.32 CRP reading using fish oil and curcumin. Good news is that there is now plenty of room to show its stuff. The start reading for CRP is 5.25. Inflammation is up. I had knee surgery in January and was ordered to stop taking my fish oil. My arthritis came back strong and the fish oil/curcumin doesn’t work this time. So a stiff back and a high CRP reading is a good challenge for the krill oil. I should have final test results in late May.

I’m using 1g krill oil and 1g CURCUMIN in addition to fish oil to quell inflammation in a hip that has arthritic deterioration as well as what feels like tissue caught in the weight-bearing joint – ouch! – for a 400# 63yr-old. I think it has some impact. Still waking at night with throbbing pain in groin, so MD suggests Nortriptyline to get me through the night. I guess I’ll try it. She says to keep up the krill & CURCUMIN & fish oil – in addition to the chemical stuff.

I think I can feel a difference. Some days are better than others. All nights are pretty fierce, though, so I’ll do the drugs for a while.

Browsing I found a reference to CMO that sounds worth trying. Do you have any info to add to what this chap offers? Pain is pain!

“My name is Rusty. I have had joint pain since my early twenties. When I was 38 I lost a kidney because of the anti-inflamatories I was taking for the pain. At age 41 I was diagnosed with cancer. The good news is that the Chemo killed the cancer, the bad new was that it also attacked my joints. The pain became almost unbearable, especialy since I could take nothing for the pain. I had to quit all physical activity. With in two weeks of going on CMO It was like I had never had arthritis or any kind of joint pain. I am active again. I play my son in tennis at least twice a week. CMO was the best thirty dollars I ever spent. Sure I spend that now every month but that is only a fraction of the cost of what I was paying for prescriptions before I lost my kidney. If you have joint pain or arthritis Check out …cetyl-myristoleate…”

I’ve cut out his email info, but have it from his 2002 posting, if you need that. Sounds as if he found a real remedy for his pain!

Hope this is okay to ask about here. I’m in pursuit of a Dercum’s dx, with various symptoms in evidence all my life. At 63 it seems my HMO MDs are not interested in pinning down a Dercum’s dx, but I’d like to know. Seems having a dx is a good thing, even if there is no known treatment or cure. Meanwhile, I’m in pain and interested in how I can reduce the pain without compromising my internal organs. Thanks for any guidance you can offer on this.

Thanks, also, for the krill oil info. Can’t hurt. Might help. ~~~Zer

Hi Zer–

Sounds to me like your pain is coming from a bad hip due to carrying 400 pounds at age 63. I can imagine that it would be painful. I don’t know if you’ll get the dx of Dercum’s disease, since as I understand Dercum’s (I’ve never seen a case of it) it involves pain from the fat itself. Sounds like yours is in the joint.

I have had no experience with CMO, although I have read about it. I’ve seen no studies on humans, but I imagine a few are in the works. From the structure of CMO, it doesn’t appear to be anything that will cause any harm, so if you want to give it a whirl and your MD doesn’t have a problem, I would go for it.

If you came to see me, I would want to address the 400 pounds that are putting the extra stress on everything, not to mention the release of inflammatory cytokines from the excess fatty tissue. If you weighed 200 or even 100 pounds less, I can pretty much guarantee you that you will achieve more pain relief than with all the CMO in the world. Were I you that’s where I would focus my efforts.

Thanks for the input. I got the CMO and started it, along with the krill oil and CURCUMIN and fish oil, which my HMO MD says she thinks are worth continuing while I start the Nortriptyline that she thinks might help me sleep through rugged nighttime pain from a hip that I sincerely feel is not correctly dx’d. Arthritis is evident in both hips as well as lower back and feet – but it is not incapacitating.

I feel that tissue got caught in Aug2006 in a hip that went out of place. Possibly a zinc deficiency? That was mentioned as a dx for hip displasia in dogs, on a tv show drama discussing dogs.

My chiro points out that weight is a factor, but that he has clients who weigh far less who have pain. He also points out that my right hip is not suffering the pain that my left hip started in Aug’06. He alone seems to appreciate that we cannot blame weight for all the issues that a fat person develops. Nice to hear that from a fit person. Nice to hear that from anyone, actually.

Inflammation came on suddenly, just as a slipping snapping pain in that hip ceased presenting itself. That was an adjustment of a displaced tissue. Since Aug’06, no snapping adjustment. Why? Only thing I can figure is the tissue is caught in the hip, same hip that has a massive saddlebag hanging outside, dragging muscle and tendon and…. well, it’s not evident to anyone but me that I am not just an arthritic old woman who is carrying too much weight.

I’m working on the weight. I fear the hip will be difficult to fix as I’ve been walking on pinched tissue for 9mos now. Still trying to get a better dx from my HMO. No sign I can expect anything like that.

But the CMO or CURCUMIN or something seems to be dimming the pain. I’ve slept for longer spates between awakening at night. Let’s hope that something or all of the things will work. Thanks!

Your testimony about krill oil and CURCUMIN and fish oil helped me begin to see a way to manage my own pain without drugs. I’m using my MD’s nortriptyline, just because she asked me to try it, but I’m committed to avoiding drugs. I don’t want to compromise a liver and kidneys that are functioning well, all things considered.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It means a lot. Thanks!

Hi Zer–

Keep me posted about your regimen; I’m interested to see how it works. I can’t remember if I mentioned in my response to your last comment or not, but you might also try cranking the curcumin dose up to at least 1000 mgs.

Also, I don’t mean to harp on your weight, and I know you’re working on it, but just because one hip doesn’t hurt while the other one does when both are carrying the same excess weight doesn’t mean that the weight isn’t an aggravating factor. Once a joint becomes damaged from osteoarthritis (or from whatever) its threshold for weight bearing without paid can decrease substantially. If- which is I’m pretty sure the case – you’re one hip – the pain-free one – is in better shape than the other, then it can better withstand the weight without generating pain.

It takes a while to lose substantial amounts of weight even with the best of efforts, so I hope your regimen (with the increased curcumin) will help relieve your pain in the interim.

Appreciable difference in the pain that used to wake me at nights. With the fish oil (two spoonsful a day) and krill oil (2 caps, 2x/day) and CURCUMIN (2caps, 2x/day) and the Joint Relief with CMO and CURCUMIN (2caps, 2x/day) I’m not sure what is working.

Oh, and the 10mg of Nortriptyline at night with my cal-mag pills.

Can’t say what is working, but I am beginning to see some sleep, enough to get some dreams. It’s been a long dreamless time, so I am glad of the rest. Still wake sometimes with a painful groin that demands movement to ease the pain. Sitting up helps a lot. So I’m adept at sleeping with my head on a pillow in my lap in bed and figure that the few minutes of sleep all add up, I hope, to give my body some time to rest and repair and do all its cellular stuff.

Thanks for the advice. My CURCUMIN is 500mg and I take 2caps once or twice a day. Sometimes I feel so good I forget to take ’em. My body is so full of anti-inflammatory stuff that a troublesome tooth has calmed down. It’s gum looks quite healthy now, though I know there is still some dental work needed. But it’s feeling kind of okay now, with all my inflammatory remedies floating around.

“I was worried that there wouldn’t be much room for Krill Oil to show its stuff with a low 1.32 CRP reading using fish oil and curcumin. Good news is that there is now plenty of room to show its stuff. The start reading for CRP is 5.25. Inflammation is up. I had knee surgery in January and was ordered to stop taking my fish oil. My arthritis came back strong and the fish oil/curcumin doesn’t work this time. So a stiff back and a high CRP reading is a good challenge for the krill oil. I should have final test results in late May.”

It seems that krill oil was effective. My baseline was 1.32 using 10 grams of fish oil and 800 mg of curcumin. My lab results for May 14 was .85. A reduction from 1.32. The true reduction could be more because I had an arthritis attack that measured CRP at 5.25 on April 19. So it is possible that I wouldn’t have returned to my 1.32 baseline by May 14th.

Damn, I wish the arthritis didn’t confound the testing. But I have evidence that fish oil/curcumin/krill oil is better than fish oil/curcumin alone. More than half of my supplements are taken without any evidence that they work, so this is good.

Keep in mind that my fish oil is taken at 10 grams a day – for a total of 3 grams of fish oil. Substantially more than most folks take. My arthritis is a hard task master. I have to take lots of fish oil and regularly.

I think the arthritis attack was due to a bad batch of fish oil. My standard for fish oil smell is now a slight fishy odor. Anything stronger goes back to Costco. I did complain to Costco and now will follow up with a call giving them the CRP readings.

Hi David–

Thanks for the report. I’m glad you had such good results. I do have a question, though. I’m sure it’s a typo, but you wrote:

Keep in mind that my fish oil is taken at 10 grams a day – for a total of 3 grams of fish oil.

10 grams a day is about three times more than 3 grams. What did you mean to write here?

Just noticed Zer’s comments. He is getting good results with fish oil, krill oil, and curcumin. Would Vioxx get the kind of results that he and I are getting? Thanks for your interest in my testing. The very best thing I learned about the testing is how slim the line is between good fish oil and bad. No more dancing on that line for me.

Can you talk about why it’s beneficial to use both the fish oil and krill? I currently take about 1,000 mg of fish oil daily, but am considering switching to krill; one major difference it seems is the krill has quite a bit less of the EPA and DHA in it. But, one would gain the more effective antioxidants using krill, I think? Oy…… makes my head hurt trying to figure some of these things out 🙂

I appreciate your thoughts and time, as always!

Hey Daryl–

I use both because I figured out that that worked the best for me to prevent my aches and pains from all the golf I play. Krill oil has less EPA and DHA, but what it has of those fats comes in a phospholipid form that is much more absorbable so the smaller amount actually has a greater effect. Plus krill oil does have a load of antioxidants that plain fish oil doesn’t have.

I’m currently taking 3 grams of fish oil and am interested in learning if adding krill oil will help bring down a CRP score that’s ranged between 27-29 on two separte tests. My physician ran the first hs-CRP test on a hunchy because I have a family history of cardiovascular disease, including a sibling who died at the age of 48 while on the heart transplant list. Nothing was/is “out of whack” beside the CRP. All my lipids have been good to excellent (reaching excellent once I switched from the ovo-lacto vegetarian eating plan (low fat/high carb) that I’d followed for 20 years–right into type 2 diabetes diagnosed in January of this year. Initial A1c was 9.1; current A1c is 5.6% and anticipated A1c of 5.3% for next test scheduled for next month (The estimate is based on the spreadsheet “estimator” I keep using 8-10 daily readings. To date, the estimate has proven predictive within a tenth of a percent.) After the two CRP tests, I had an oxidative stress test (aspirin challenge and 10 hour urine collection) done. Those results led my physician to try a 21-day detox prior to a second oxidative stress test (aspirin and caffeine challenge, 10 hour urine and blood draw). Those results have just come back and she summed it up the free radical report as “horrible to terrible” (she’s faxing the complete report tomorrow, so I don’t have all the numbers). I’m already taking 600 mg. of ALA; she’s increased that to 1200. Increased CQ10 from 30 mg to 60. GLA stays the same at 240 mg. N-Acetyl-Cysteine stays the same at 2 grams per day. Melatonin stays at 2.5 mg. I take a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement prescribed by the same physician, cinnamon extract and make use of turmeric, bitter melon and etc. daily. The only medications I’m take are Armour thyroid (120 mg) and Metformin (1000 mg 2x day). No arthritis, infection, asthma — my only health problem is the diabetes which is well controlled thanks to fairly intense exercise (70-90 minutes daily) and keeping my daily carb intake below 60 grams (no grains, beans, legumes. no sugar. very limited fruit — berries only and rarely. small amount of dairy. Almost everything I eat is organic and no processed foods — never have eaten anything but organic and minimally processed food. I’ve gotten my protein up to about 125 grams a day, primarily fish–all wild, no farmed seafood.

Age is 58, female, and I confess that I’m beginning to feel like a walking vitamin shop. My question comes down to what are my physician and I not seeing? Nothing seems to have an impact on the level of inflammation the labs report. I have no symptoms that I’m turning into a piece of fruit that’s been left to turn brown due to exposure, but obviously something is going on. I’m interested in doing anything that will give me an advantage in improving my chances of not experiencing the kinds of complications that haunt most diabetics’ nightmares.

Hi Sarah–

The only thing that jumped out at me from your history is the amount of GLA you’re taking. You might want to discuss discontinuing that supplement with your physician. GLA is an omega-6 oil of vegetable origin and is the precursor to a number of inflammatory substances that you’re probably better off without. You need a small amount of the substances down the line in the synthesis pathway from GLA, but if you’re truly on a low-carb diet, you should be able to make these just fine without the large dose of GLA. And, you probably get plenty of omega-6 in your diet. I would be greatly surprised if you didn’t see a difference after a few weeks without the GLA.

Dr, Mercola has long recommended NKO Krill. But he no longer recommends Costco fish oil capsules because they are not of a reliable quality. Rancidity in a fish oil can be deadly.
I have gotten my Mom to take the Krill Oil and it helps her a great deal.

Hi Bonny–

I’m not sure that rancid fish oil is deadly, but it’s certainly not going to do you a lot of good. If I were going to spend extra money on any supplement, it would be in getting good quality fish oil or krill oil.

Hello, I just ordered Antarctic krill oil and cant wait to take it, I read about it on Dr.Mercola web site. I just came across the site and will read more. How do you suppose it will help hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia and dairy allergies? Thanks

I don’t know how krill oil will help the disorders you mentioned other than the fibromyalgia, which it should help. Let me know how it works for you.

Hello Dr. Michael R. Eades. I had a total cholesterol count of 283 before taking NKO Krill Oil. I have tried 3 different types of prescriptive type of meds and had side affects with all of them. Then I read your report on NKO Krill Oil and thought I would give it a try; what do I have to loose? After taking two Krill Oil softgels and two Omage 3 softgels in the morning for three months, then switching to taking them at bed time for the last three months, I am glad to give you my report. I am a 52 year old male in good health and about 20 lbs over weight. I feel better over all (not to say I felt bad) and my cholesterol total count dropped 28 points. But my Dr. said that my good cholesterol went down too, he did not like that. He also said my liver count went up one point. Could that be because I am taking so much fish oil? I do not exercise and I know I should and that would most likely raise the good cholesterol.

I don’t think your good cholesterol (I’m assuming you’re talking about HDL-cholesterol) went down as a result of the krill oil/fish oil combo. And I don’t think you liver count (I’m assuming liver enzymes here) went up as a result either. I couldn’t tell you what’s going on without more information, especially information about your overall diet. That’s why I don’t give medical advice over the internet.

I stopped taking piroxicam (Feldene) due to decreased kidney function, and my ankylosing spondylitis (similar to rheumatoid arthritis) and traumatic arthritis got much worse. 10 grams of fish oil a day (5472 mg omega 3), combined with (800mg. – 200mg.) Quercetin/Bromelain, Ginger extract (500mg.) , Curcumin 91330 mg.) and 150 mg. Resveratrol from Polygonum Cuspidatum-grapeseed extract and red wine concentrate, seem to keep my arthritis under control. I weight 255 pounds and am 6′ tall. I am adding my comments because I have no particular attraction to natural remedies, and so am something of a skeptic. I haven’t tried krill oil, but I think I will because Costco (I am in the US) has started carrying it and because this website speaks in favor of it. I buy the enteric coated fish oil at Costco, and have had no problems with it. You don’t burp fish oil if you use the enteric coated version.

I am interested in beginning to take krill oil, but am concerned about the possibility of rancidity as i have yet to see it stored in the refridgerator with the other fish oils. It would seem that most products that are in gel form are not kept cold, but i have yet to see evidence that the oil does not go rancid faster when on the shelf.
What is your opinion on this?

I keep mine on the shelf and they do fine. You can refrigerate them, but if you do, make sure they are in airtight containers or the gelcaps will become oily. This is the reason you see them unrefrigerated.

I started taking 1000MG krill oil and in 10 days felt 25-30% better – an now taking 2500MG ans cant see a difference. I started putting lots of turmeric on foods – omlettes, stir fries etc with powder ginger – this may help.

1/2 teaspoon of mag citrate seemed to settle me down too, pain wise

Taking tempurature in the AM and 2 hours after awake – if below 98.1 then you have thyroid issues and may want to look at iodine…. If your gut is bad then some HL Betaine. if still cant get to 100% then colloidal silver and http://www.vsl3.com start 1/2 pack and get to 2 packs a day – if after 1-2 years still no good, add glyconutrients and Bob Beck protocal Wheeww, thats a lot hey, but I think it works, trying myself after years of other failures. Cheers

This is a follow up to query I posted back in late-September about a hs-CRP of 27-29 (three tests over a six week period) and your suggestion I drop the GLA my doctor had included in the “take this” list. I did drop the GLA and added krill oil to the fish oil I take. Just got the results of latest hs-CRP (long dely in test due to family illness, death, etc., etc. that took priority). New CRP is 5.6, still way too high, but a whole lot better than 27! My HDL has also come up to 52 from 35; triglycerides at 120; LDL 121. My thyroid has gone “wacky” with TSH up to 5.7 and free T3 2.0, so am now taking 3 grains Armour thyroid daily with re-test in a month, since I’d been stable for over a year at 2 grains.

I don’t know if the improvement in the hs-CRP is the result of the krill oil or cutting out the GLA or some other factor. Nothing else has changed in the six months since I cut out GLA and added krill oil. I’m not going to quit taking the krill oil to test the possibility, though. 5.6 is not a great number, so I’m looking to see what else I can do to bring it down. Suggestions would be much appreciated — the GLA advice you gave was right on the money.

I found your Blog after searching on Google for Neptune Krill Oil – and found it fascinating. I am in UK, so again did a search for suppliers of same and found http://www.myprotein.co.uk who supply a bottle of 90 capsules for £17.95 plus p & p (very reasonable at £1.25). I have ordered 3 bottles (p & p £1.98) as I would like my 2 sons to try them for a neurological condition – ataxia.

Also ordered Malcolm Kendrick’s book on your recommendation so look forward to reading that too! Had an interesting evening – thank you.

Dr Eades:
I notice that yo no longer offer Krill Oil on your website. Is it something you still recommend? If so can you recommend a high quality source? Thanks!

We will be offering it again shortly. We had to resupply. One of the projects I’ve been working on is trying to figure out which of all the krill oil products are the best. I had assumed that krill oil was krill oil. Turns out, though, that this isn’t the case. All krill oils are not the same. I, myself, have been taking the one we sold on our site because it was less expensive than others. I’ve come to the conclusion that the krill oil produced by Neptune Technologies is the best overall for a number of reasons having to do with how the oil is extracted and processed, which I’ll describe in a lengthy blog post in due course. We have located a supplier (Neptune sells only to wholesalers) and have made an order. As soon as we get product, it will be back up. It ill be more expensive than the other, but I’ve found with krill oil that you get what you pay for.

I have a 15 year old son who has adhd/pdd and I have tried many things. For the past 3 months, I have been giving him 2 capsules every morning after breakfast, Dr. Mercola’s Krill Oil plus L-theanine which you probably know is an amino acid found in green tea. This helps with anxiety. So far it has helped him. He is calmer and his focus has gotten better. Is there any interaction with the L-theanine combined with krill oil?

Hi,
Very helpful information. I love your site and will spread the word of health and wellness. I am a cancer survivor and I know how important it is to be healthy. Our health is our greatest asset. keep up the good work

He’s always had a few (10 or less) lipomas which grow for years and unless they irritated him he just ignored them. He did have some on his left flank cut out in October 2008 here in Saginaw, MI by Dr. Shaheen.

In December 2009 (about 5 or 6 weeks ago) he started to get many tiny lumps like peas under his skin. He’s gotten about 200+ of them so far. They’re appearing on his arms, trunk, chest, back and thighs. These lumps are painful and they are multiplying rapidly and they’re growing. He had a core biopsy of one on his arm by my dermatologist, Dr. Gaffney, in Flint, Michigan a few weeks ago and the findings by the U of M were “angiolipoma” for that lump. This past week he had one removed by Dr. Shaheen in Saginaw. The biopsy isn’t back yet. It turned out not to be one, but two that were connected and about the size of a golf ball. No one expected that.

This is really affecting our lives. Bill used to be very active and able. Now he’s so tired he can hardly do anything. It’s very discouraging. It’s difficult to sleep because no matter which way he lays in bed it hurts.

At this rate, Bill’s going to have to have surgery every few weeks just to get all these things taken out. I’ve been reading about extended subcutaneous lipectomy – where a German hospital took out about 570 lipomas from one man and 240 from another in one operation with one incision. I’ve attached the abstract to this email (below). I’ve also just found information about ultrasonic liposuction and think that might be a useful technique to use on Bill.

We would like to know what’s causing this and how to make it stop, but failing that, we need to know how to proceed. Have you any thoughts as to fish oil helping him? Any thoughts about the situation and what it might be?

This is an unusual and rare disorder that I know nothing about. I doubt seriously that fish oil or krill oil are going to be the solution. If I had to take a shot in the dark, I would say that it’s probably some sort of autoimmune disorder. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

I have had lipomas for several years and had 17 -18 removed about 10 years back, I currently have around 17 – 25 new ones. I have been taking Krill oil for about 1 year now. About 6 months ago, I noticed that the lipomas that were previously bothering me, I was thinking of having surgery to remove them again, were shrinking. I can only attribute this to Krill oil..that is the only new thing in my routine. Since that time they are continuing to shrink to the point that I a few have all but disappeared. Its a very slow process, but since taking Krill oil, I don’t seem to have any new ones either..I am quite happy about this and will continue to monitor…By the way I take 4 krill oil pills a day, from neptune..Hope this helps…

Can you tell me how many of Dr. Mercola’s Krill oil I should take, and which fish oil to take and how much, and which curcumin product and dosage? I have inflammation all around the hip area, this pain occurs during the day and at night. I eat a healthy diet, exercise and take various supplements. I carry heavy packages of groceries practically every day up 5 flights of stairs. I am 58 years.
Should I see a doctor? I don’t know which type to see. I have hypothyroidism, so should I see an Endocrinologist, or a cardiologist since inflammation affects the heart. I have energy issues even though I have increased Nature-throid. Thank you for your assistance, Debra

I’m not familiar with Dr. Mercola’s krill oil, so I can’t tell you how much to take. You should probably see someone about your arthritis. I would recommend a good primary care doctor. Most primary care physicians can take care of all the problems you mentioned.

I am so confused ! Could you please tell me why the Jarrow Formula Krill Oil doesn’t list any vitamin A from Krill or vitamin E from Krill? I’ve about finished my second bottle of “Healthy Choice Nutritionals Krill Oil” and that is the first two ingredients they list.

I got some krill oil from Dr. Mercola’s website, but after I received it, I realized it was made from tiny shell fish, something I have to avoid with gout. I have been trying to research the effects of krill oil on uric acid levels without success. I do know krill oil is a wonderful anti-inflamatory but remain cautious about taking it until I have more evidence of it’s possitive affects on gout.

Great info. I suffer from severe osteoarthritis in my left ankle. I’ve had one arthroscopy to remove diseased cartilage and otherwise am under my surgeon’s advice to do anything & everything to put off a fusion for as long as possible as I’m only 38 and we’re both hoping another solution comes along before it comes to that.

In any case I’m taking a supplement with 900mg fish oil + 300mg Neptune Krill, twice daily. (I was up to 3x daily but since I already have von willebrand’s 2N I began to bleed & bruise too easily.)

On the Krill vs. just a regular fish oil supplement I’ve seen an amazing difference in the pain & inflammation levels in my bad ankle. I started krill when a friend who has his own share of joint pain told me about it, and it was well worth trying out. I’ll continue 2 pills daily as it gives me significant pain relief without any excessive bleeding, and without the kidney risks of Advil or Aleve.

Hi Mike:
I just wanted to reply to the blogger re: vit e reports of harm. In the studies reviewed there was no mention of what form of vit e used. If only the alpha-tocopherols are used it can cause a relative deficiency of the other e’s (gamma tocopherol etc.) The other problem is that vit e will metabolize a small amount of co-enzyme Q10. If the heart is already low on Q10 (particularly if taking statins), then low quality vit e could be the straw that breaks the cardiac back. If complete vit e and a bit of Q10 are taken there will be no heart issues from it other than its benefits.
cheers
ward hazen

Thanks for your blog and this post on krill oil. I see that you recommend the Source Naturals brand, and was wondering if you were aware that they lowered the amount of astaxanthin by 2/3rds in their current formulation?

It used to contain 1.5mgs, but now contains 0.480mgs — roughly half a milligram.

I don’t think krill oil is an antioxidant. It may have antioxidant properties, but not in the classic antioxidant sense. In fact, krill oil is a PUFA with a phospholipid structure (vs a triglyceride structure), so, if anything, it sucks up antioxidants to keep its double bonds stable.

Love, love, love your blog! After taking fish oil for 12 yrs with no adverse reactions (eliminated dry eyes) I’m again getting dry eye at night. I decided to try krill oil in hopes that it would be more effective. I’ve taken one 300 mg capsule a day for two days now. Each time I’ve gotten a super “flush” feeling and headache within 20 min. Could this be because krill oil is a more potent vasodilator? Will this go away with time? I’ve tried to counter with a cup of coffee, not Americano, lol, and it does seem to help. Just wondering if I should stay with krill oil plus the fish oil?

You may be allergic to krill. Do you have an allergy to other shellfish? Maybe take one of the krill softgels, poke it with a pin, and squirt a little (very little) of the oil on the inside of your arm to see if there is a reaction. If so, then I wouldn’t take the krill oil. I don’t think your symptoms have anything to do with the vasodilating properties of krill vs fish oil. It sounds more like an allergic problem to me.

I can’t thank you enough for your reply about my reaction to krill oil. I don’t have any shellfish allergies that I’m aware of and have eaten shrimp, crawfish, lobster etc. my whole life with no problem at all. But, this morning I followed your instructions to test the krill oil on my arm and within literally seconds I felt lightheaded and dizzy and had rapid heartbeat. It scared me. I quickly washed my arm and took a Benadryl as the lightheadedness didn’t stop immediately. I’m feeling fine now and threw the bottle of krill oil away.

Thank you again so much for your timely reply! I would never have suspected an allergy and most likely would have taken another capsule to see if it was better the third try. I’m so glad I didn’t!

I took one capsule of Mega Red. I read comments about their product and no one seemed to have a problem. I wondered at first if it was specific to Mega Red, but I’m not willing to find out. Before your initial response, I had gone online to order NKO but didn’t when you suggested allergy might be the problem.

There has been a giant battle in the krill oil world that has just ended. Neptune Technologies (a Canadian company) developed and patented the basic method for extraction of oil from krill, and they had the first product. Then along came Aker Biomarine (a Norwegian company) and Enzymotec (an Israeli company) extracting oil from krill using a variant of the technique Neptune had developed. Before long, everyone was suing everyone else, and all the suits were finally settled within the last month. Although the extraction process is essentially the same for all these three companies (Neptune triumphed in the lawsuits), there are differences in final products.

All krill oil products out there – irrespective of name – come from one of these three companies. Aker Biomarine produces the krill oil for Mega Red. I have used products from all three companies and have found the fewest problems – essentially none – with the Neptune Technologies NKO product. I have heard multiple complaints about the Aker product, Mega Red in particular. I don’t know how much to read into this because Mega Red is sold at Costco and a number of other popular online sites, so the large number of complaints may be a consequence of there just being a huge number of users relative to the other brands.

I’ve always used NKO simply because they were the first and, consequently, the majority of the studies done showing the benefits of krill were done using the NKO product. Now that the lawsuits are all settled, prices are fluctuating, and I just got notice that the company from which I purchase krill oil for our site is switching to the Enzymotec product. Which means I’ll now have to source another supplier because I prefer the NKO.

Having said all this, I don’t know if your problem is with the oil itself or the other ingredients that go along with it. In other words, you might not have a problem with NKO or the Enzymotec product. I would be very careful, though, in testing.